Exemplary embodiments pertain to the art of air bearings and, more particularly, to an air bearing shaft for a ram air fan.
Ram air fans operate when ram airflow may not be sufficient to provide adequate airflow over air-to-air heat exchangers. In many cases, ram air fans are employed in environmental control systems employed in aircraft. Conventional ram air systems include fan rotor arranged downstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger. The second fan rotor is supported by air bearings. Air bearings include an internal flow path through which passes a cooling fluid. The cooling fluid passes in a heat exchange relationship with the air bearing to absorb and dissipate heat.